June 4, 2007

With all the nutritional properties of chia seeds, I thought it had the potential to make a nice seed milk. After researching various seed milks, I found an interesting recipe for Chia Milk by Frank Rohe of the National Health Yellow Pages. Epicurean Table had a number of recipes for nut and seed milks, plus some great variations. Now I was off to make my batch of gluten free chia seed milk.

First, I started to work on the basic recipe, using a combination of my sources and a pinch from me. While this recipe whips up in around thirty minutes, you will need to let it sit for a few hours or over night in the refrigerator for the best consistency. The chia seeds need a little more time to thicken all the milk.

Pour 1 cup of water, chia seeds and nuts into your blender or food processor then whip it together. Plop in the tahini, agave syrup, vanilla and cinnamon. Whip these ingredients together, then add the rest of the water. Whip until blended. Pour into a pitcher. Allow it to sit in the refrigerator for at least several hours although it is better if left over night, before serving.

How did it taste? My sister-in-law was visiting when I made a version without cinnamon. She gave it a try and said it was chunky milk, but it did taste better than if it had been made with broccoli. I thought it had an interesting texture from the seeds and had a slight bitterness from the tahini. I made another batch, but added some cinnamon to the milk. This one was pretty good as the cinnamon cuts the bitterness of the tahini. I had some for breakfast with my granola and the flavors complemented each other nicely. As a drinking beverage, it was filled with texture which wasn't unexpected just interesting. I thought it had the potential to make a great breakfast drink. Whip up some banana or pumpkin with the Chia seed milk and have a frothy shake to start the day.

Why are there only two comments? Well...my lovely family wouldn't go near my chunky milk, especially not after their sister/aunt said it was better than broccoli.